Joanne (Greene) Spruance, 57, was born January 3, 1957; she lived with her family in Ledyard and passed into the presence of The Lord on August 6, 2014.
Joanne was a world traveler and a lifelong learner. She was married for 28 years to her husband Mark Spruance and was the proud mother of two sons, Joel and Jeffrey. She was also a second-mother, counselor, friend, and advocate to countless people over the years. She will be remembered for her spirit, humbleness, grace and courage.
Eighth in the birth order of 10 children, Joanne grew up in Preston where the man who would one day become her husband was her childhood sweetheart. As a teen, free-spirit Joanne hitchhiked to California and back, and upon her return, continued her education and worked for several years as an operations manager in Franklin. When the children arrived, Joanne devoted herself to raising them which included extensive travel; South and Central America, Europe, and most of the Lower 48 including a motor-home trip. The family biked, canoed, kayaked, hiked, white-water rafted and drove nearly every back country New England road, for of all the places she visited in her life, this was always her home, the place she loved.
At the age of 27 Joanne gave her heart to Jesus Christ and dedicated her life to His service.
Besides her family, one of her early achievements was the co-founding of the Care Net Pregnancy Resource Center in 1994, which still impacts lives today. Joanne's vision was to have a place where women who were facing an unplanned pregnancy could find life affirming resources, receive ongoing care and loving support.
And, for 9 years, Joanne volunteered at York Correctional Institution where she and a small group of women volunteers wanted to share the good news of God's love with the female inmate population. For Joanne it was a passion that she never tired of and she leaves a lasting legacy among women at York.
Once her sons were grown and in college, she decided to do the same. She wanted to go into substance abuse counseling; it seemed the right fit for her given over the course of her too-short lifetime, Joanne helped so many, indeed, her door was always open to those in need.
In 2009, Joanne earned a degree and became a Certified Addiction Counselor and interned at Gates Correctional Facility where she helped to change lives and was a counselor at SCADD until she fell ill in 2013. Joanne was called upon and with great joy and love helped when and where she could: she’s been called in by medical staff to help with a suicidal person; called to assist police with an out-of-control teen; helped newly released prisoners get back on their feet by assisting with job and college applications; the Spruance family have for years opened their doors to many a young person. Her faith in God gave her a world view that it is important to use her God given gifts to help others less fortunate while giving them an opportunity to understand and embrace God’s saving grace.
Since she fell ill, quite literally hundreds came from near and far to thank her for having an impact on their lives. She humbly lived her life with little self-interest. She clearly understood the power of God’s grace and the restorative nature of her faith in God. Joanne worked tirelessly to help others. She clearly understood God’s vision, plan and purpose for her life.
To that end, it was surely her faith that guided her. Joanne attended Groton Bible Chapel for thirty years and initially worked with the teen group. She was actively involved in various ministries at the Chapel including starting Celebrate Recovery, a ministry that helps people that are struggling with hurts, habits and hang ups.
Several months ago, in the throes of the illness that would take her life, Joanne hiked four hours climbing a mountain in New Hampshire; there surely was no mountain high enough for Joanne.
Joanne was loved deeply and will be missed every day.
Joanne is survived by her husband Mark, her son Joel of Wakefield, MA and his wife Julia, and her son Jeffrey, of Ledyard. She is also survived by nine siblings, an aunt, nieces, and nephews.
A celebration of Joanne's life will be held at Groton Bible Chapel on Saturday, August 16, 11am. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Groton Bible Chapel, 66 Toll Gate Road, Groton, CT 06340 or Waypoint Adventure, 255 Newtonville Avenue, Newton, MA 02458.
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